Well, they are native to the Pacific Northwest. I have caught Steelhead in the Midwest, and the PNW, and I have to say that those western fish really tear it up. REALLY tear it up. They get a lot larger, too, in many rivers. Just got back from a trip to Alaska, and fished the Naknek river. The river Rainbows up there are incredible. Not as heavy as Steelhead, but they fight like crazy, and are beautiful fish, with amazing spot patterns.

But I live in the midwest, and enjoy our Steelhead for a lot less money they it takes to travel west for the wild fish.

Beautiful rivers and country out there, fish have been decreasing the last decade though, many early river closures in Washington. Expensive for a trip out there and you may not touch a fish. More fish and cheaper in the GLs to fish them, so for now stay here.

My feeling is that a steelhead is a steelhead is a steelhead. I plan on writing a piece about it soon. If they are genetically steelhead, have smolted and have entered a large standing body of water to feed and grow before returning to a stream to spawn, they are steelhead- West Coast, Great Lakes, wherever. I think there is a bit of regionalism and localism in the claim "Our fish are better than your fish", or in some quaint notion that salt somehow imbues a mystical fighting quality to steelhead. 12 pounds of angry fall chromes is just that, whether it came from fresh or salt. The size of the water body does tend to have an effect on the maximum size potential of fish, but the average steelhead size on the West Coast by all accounts is the same as for the Great Lakes, and the official Michigan records are full of 20lb. plus fish up to 46 inches long.

All that said, I would love to go to BC and fish them in their native home against that stunning backdrop.

Notyomonkey- You took the words from my keyboard. I too would LOVE to catch a sea run steel. I'm sure it's the same deal, but there's something about the thought of catching a truly wild, sea run fish that is very appealing to me. Add the beautiful wild country and it's just a beautiful thought/dream.Maybe someday.

Hey guys, just wanted to chime in on this one. I have had the privilage of living in Naknek, Alaska for two years, and in Vancouver, WA for a year. My permanent residence is near Duluth, MN. I do tend to agree a steelie is a steelie no matter where you can catch them. If a guy has the chance to get out west to fish them where they come from, it is well worth the trip. Granted the cost difference to run to your local stream is "just a little" cheaper, but after spending time out west, the chances for a 20 on any given trip is worth many return trips for me. On the flip side, I was out on a local river today and landed 10 steelies and lost quite a few more. In three years out west I never had a 10 steelhead day. I do think the fish out west have more stamina than our great lakes fish do, but some of that may be more to the size and power of the waters the fish are being caught in. I'll wrap up by saying, I don't think there is one steelhead better than another, just the circumstances in which they are caught.

I would say that great lakes steelhead fishery is one the best ones in the world,The west has alot of problems with dams the runs are not great as they once were. It is still worth the trip on the senic areas that you will fish, like Hoh, Sol duc,Wind,Iwould say go BC and will find what youre looking for there.

I've caught Steelhead all over the great lakes, and I've caught them in northern CA, Washington, and have caught Rainbows in Alaska. I will say that the fish the migrate to the salt water, and the wild Rainbows in AK fight like demons. But our fish fight great, too - and they are a LOT more accessible. If anyone wants an adventure, head to Seattle, then go around the Olympic peninsula. You can probably drive the whole thing, and see a few sight along the way, in a long day. Or you could fish a bunch, and spend weeks/months/a lifetime there. Forks, WA is a cool little place.

I will add that it has been my experience that saltwater fish in general fight harder than similar size freshwater fish.